Stretched

January signings Sam Byram and Emmanuel Emenike missed the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night through injury and an issue over international clearance respectively while defender Angelo Ogbonna was out through illness.

While the likes of Payet, Valencia, Moses and Reid are fit again the Hammers are still missing Carroll, Lanzini and Sakho.

The trio were all scheduled for mid-February comebacks while Nikica Jelavic is set to leave for a move to China.

But the Hammers have received a massive boost with news from the treatment room and board room ahead of the crunch league clash at in-form Southampton on Saturday and the FA Cup replay against Liverpool on Tuesday.

Fantastic five

That's because no fewer than five previously unavailable players could be ready to freshen up Bilic's side at a crucial time.

According to West Ham's head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke's latest update on the club's official website Carroll, Emenike and Ogbonna are all ready to face Ronald Koeman's side at St Mary's.

And as if that wasn't good news enough Lanzini and star striker Sakho could return for the vital cup clash against Liverpool.